EXHIBITION AT THE TURKISH AND ISLAMIC ARTS MUSEUMS IN ISTANBUL (OCT 14, 2015 - JAN 10, 2016) Pearls: Jewels from the Sea - The Finest Collections of Pearl Jewellery in the World

Produced by Qatar Musuems, the exhibition is composed of a series of unique and beautiful pieces, which have been carefully collected and curated during the last ten years. The exhibition runs as part of the Qatar Turkey 2015 Year of Culture, at the Turkish and Islamic Arts Museums in Istanbul.

'Pearls: Jewels from the Sea' offers a rare opportunity to see one of the finest collections of pearl jewellery in the world. The exhibition contains more than 100 pieces from around the world including the Gulf, Europe and Asia. The diverse collection includes pearls, shells, tiaras, lockets, brooches and necklaces.

Visitors can see masterpieces by Cartier; pearl earnings designed by Bvlgari and worn by Elisabeth Taylor; a spectacular tiara worn by Archduchess Marie Valerie of Austria; and six royal tiaras from other European monarchies. Other highlights include ethnographic and tribal pieces of pearl jewellery, such as headdresses from Tibet and pieces that date back to Roman times.

Highlights from the Exhibition

The Turkish and Islamic Arts Museums in Istanbul / Photo © Islamic Arts Magazine

'Pearls: Jewels from the Sea', Qatar Museums Collections / Photo © Islamic Arts Magazine

'Pearls: Jewels from the Sea', Qatar Museums Collections / Photo © Islamic Arts Magazine

'Pearls: Jewels from the Sea', Qatar Museums Collections / Photo © Islamic Arts Magazine

'Pearls: Jewels from the Sea', Qatar Museums Collections / Photo © Islamic Arts Magazine

'Pearls: Jewels from the Sea', Qatar Museums Collections / Photo © Islamic Arts Magazine

'Pearls: Jewels from the Sea', Qatar Museums Collections / Photo © Islamic Arts Magazine

'Pearls: Jewels from the Sea', Qatar Museums Collections / Photo © Islamic Arts Magazine

'Pearls: Jewels from the Sea', Qatar Museums Collections / Photo © Islamic Arts Magazine

'Pearls: Jewels from the Sea', Qatar Museums Collections / Photo © Islamic Arts Magazine

'Pearls: Jewels from the Sea', Qatar Museums Collections / Photo © Islamic Arts Magazine

'Pearls: Jewels from the Sea', Qatar Museums Collections / Photo © Islamic Arts Magazine

'Pearls: Jewels from the Sea', Qatar Museums Collections / Photo © Islamic Arts Magazine

The Vietnamese artist Sam Tho Duong, living in Germany, tried to interpret with pearls the growing of ice crystals on the branches of trees. The branches are made of oxidized silver, and pearls are Chinese freshwater cultivated pearls. Qatar Museums Collections / Photo © Islamic Arts Magazine

'Pearls: Jewels from the Sea', Installation view, Qatar Museums Collections / Photo © Islamic Arts Magazine

'Pearls: Jewels from the Sea', Installation view, Qatar Museums Collections / Photo © Islamic Arts Magazine

'Pearls: Jewels from the Sea', Installation view, Qatar Museums Collections / Photo © Islamic Arts Magazine

'Pearls: Jewels from the Sea', Installation view, Qatar Museums Collections / Photo © Islamic Arts Magazine

'Pearls: Jewels from the Sea', Installation view, Qatar Museums Collections / Photo © Islamic Arts Magazine

The 'Pearls: Jewels from the Sea' exhibition is one of Qatar Museums’ flagship international projects and has been visited by people around the world, receiving widespread critical acclaim in countries where it has previously been exhibited including Japan, the United Kingdom and Brazil as part of the Years of Culture programme.

The exhibition at the Turkish and Islamic Arts Museums in Istanbul is on view until January 10, 2016.